Chickens getting trampled in coop at night

Date sort Score sort
HeatherMarieR

HeatherMarieR

Chirping
Feb 27, 2015
327
12
88
Somerville, AL
A few months ago we lost several ducks to a fox so I started shutting our chickens and ducks up in our large detached garage that they always sleep in every night anyways. Well, I started losing even more birds this way because I guess in the mornings they'd start bickering and some of the smaller birds would get trampled. After losing a Silkie and a D'Uccle, I decided to just leave the garage open and leaving a light on outside the house to try to keep predators away. Now, I'm having issues again. I don't know what the predator is, but it's taken a D'Uccle hen and a Call drake without leaving a trace. I really need to start shutting the garage again, but I'm afraid I'll just lose even more birds that way. Does anyone have any ideas on how to keep them from trampling each other? The issue is definitely not space. There's PLENTY of it.
 
If your floor space is crowded maybe you need to think "High-rise". Try a simple 2X4 rack set out on a couple of 5 gallon buckets for a start. The chickens will love it, and floor space won't be such an issue. Of course, if you've already got roosts that they use, you might check in on them at night to see how they are using them. "Roost territory" can be a problem if you have a bully that insists on having 3 feet on either side of her/him!
smile.png
 
My main rooster ( an Old English Bantam) and his hen sleep up on the railing for the track of the door. Most of the others sleep on some stacked up ply wood and the storage stotes that store all their feed. A few seem to sleep on the ground, and they're usually the ones that get trampled I think.
 
I just MIGHT have a plan. There's a small coop that we usually use for the older chicks right by the garage. Most of the smaller Silkies and Cochin bantams that would be likely to get trampled sleep in it now or on a cage right under it. I might could get them all shut in the coop at night and then shut the rest in the garage. It's worth a shot at least.
 

Similar threads

MMelton67
    • Like
Chickens not using coop to roost at night.
2 3 4
Replies
36
Views
3K
Happy hen lover
Happy hen lover
tori729
Going away - advice on changing routine before we go
Replies
7
Views
959
Evadig
Evadig
PaisleyChickMama
Chickens started roosting outside coop
2 3
Replies
20
Views
2K
LaFleche
LaFleche
Kuritsa y Utochka
    • Like
Going on Vacation - What to do With Chickens?
2 3
Replies
21
Views
3K
Kuritsa y Utochka
Kuritsa y Utochka
JennieLamb
Weird, but Successful Flock Coexisting in Coop/ Chickens, Guineas, Ducks, and Turkey all Together! Weird? Concerns? Ok?
Replies
2
Views
1K
kazZ2o06
K

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom